PGCE (Secondary): Drama

Course overview

We recognise the importance and potential of theatre as an art form. Our goal is to promote pupils’ personal, social, spiritual and cultural development through theatre and performance.

Why study PGCE (Secondary) Drama at Goldsmiths?

• If you want to empower young people through Drama then this is the course for you. You'll learn about the process of teaching and performance, observe Drama in schools, look at the work of key practitioners, and develop the conceptual underpinnings of classroom practice.

• You’ll also work on your performance skills and analyse them from the perspective of a viewer.

• You’ll work with school-based tutors (heads of department or experienced Drama specialists), and be supported by alumni as “buddies”.

What you’ll study

The College-based sessions cover the required Core Curriculum Framework in Goldsmiths' unique way, designed to meet the needs of our inner-city partnership schools in London's diverse communities. We begin by engaging in practical Drama at your own level, analysing this from the perspective of participant and teacher.

Starting to teach grows from this learner-centred experience, coupled with observing Drama in schools, re-visiting the work of key practitioners from education and drama, and developing the conceptual and theoretical underpinnings of classroom practice.

From here, we explore Drama's powerful unique feature of learning and teaching: being in role. Learning how to harness this process in order to facilitate development in young people is a key element of the programme.

School-based tutors are heads of department or experienced Drama specialists. In addition, we benefit from 'buddy' support through alumni of the programme.

In the Autumn Term, there is an intensive introduction to Drama in Education at Goldsmiths, including days in partnership schools with experienced mentors for workshops and teaching practice with peer support in small teams.

As the term develops, four days a week are based in school discovering your own teaching praxis through Goldsmiths Curriculum Framework, returning to Goldsmiths on the fifth day for continuing support in Curriculum and Learning, Pedagogy and Classroom Practice, Adapting Teaching, Professional Behaviours, Assessment, and Professional Behaviours. At this point, we review progress in these areas and set targets for development in the spring.

In the Spring Term, there is a second, smaller period of Goldsmiths-based work, with an induction visit to the second teaching practice school. This enables building on everything learned in the first term and facilitates planning for the second school experience.

There is a focus on interviewing and securing Early Career Teacher posts in schools for the autumn. There is a second review of progress at the end of this term.

Four days a week are spent in this school until the spring half-term. At this point, attendance at school increases to five days a week gaining a sense of what it means to be a full-time Drama teacher, ending with a final review of progress.

In the last week of the programme,  we return to Goldsmiths and complete Induction Phase Profiles. We also review and evaluate the programme as a whole and prepare for employment in your new career as drama teachers.

Learning & teaching

A range of teaching methods is employed across all our PGCE programmes, including:

• Taught subject sessions

• Practical workshops

• Compulsory lectures

• Seminars

• Group and Individual tutorials

• Individual and group presentations

• Supported self-study